- Matthews Picks up All-Met Player of the Year award -
New York, N.Y. (April 9, 2013) – AJ Matthews (Brooklyn, N.Y.) of Farmingdale State has been named the All Met Division III men's college basketball Player of the Year for the second consecutive year by the Met Basketball Writers Association. Marc Brown of NJCU was named Coach of the Year.
The rest of the All Met First Team: Elgin Brown, Ramapo; Lance Brown, Wm. Paterson; Jamar Harry, John Jay; Sheldon Jones, Stevens; Tyrik Tucker, Old Westbury.
The Second Team: Winston Douglas, Medgar Evers; Bloochy Magloire, Staten Island; Kerel Mitchell, Old Westbury; Carl Yaffe, NYU; Will Sanborn, Ramapo.
The All Met teams will be honored April 15 at the 80th NIT/MBWA Haggerty Awards dinner at the Westchester Marriott, Tarrytown, NY.
A 7-foot senior forward from Brooklyn, NY, Matthews led the nation in Division III with 14.7 rebounds per game and topped the Rams and the Skyline Conference with 22.6 ppg (No. 9 in the nation). His 20 double-doubles were No. 1 in the NCAA and his 2.88 blocks were seventh nationally. He also was named the NABC Atlantic District Player of the Year.
In a rebuilding season where the Gothic Knights lost all five starters from 2011-12, Brown guided a stunning rebound from a 2-7 start and a struggling 4-9 record (0-7 NJAC). NJCU put together a streak of 10 wins in 12 games and claimed seven consecutive victories to conclude the regular season with a record of 14-11 overall and 9-9 in the league. Brown also was named the NJAC Coach of the Year.
2012-13 Division III All-Met Basketball Teams
FIRST TEAM
AJ Matthews, Farmingdale State 7-0, sr, F (Brooklyn, NY)
Elgin Brown, Ramapo 6-4, sr, F (Jersey City, NJ)
Lance Brown, Wm Paterson 6-5, sr, G/F (Teaneck, NJ)
Jamar Harry, John Jay 6-2, jr, G/F (Brooklyn, NY)
Sheldon Jones, Stevens 6-1, sr, G (Queens, NY)
Tyrik Tucker, Old Westbury 6-6, jr, G/F (Brooklyn, NY)
SECOND TEAM
Winston Douglas, Medgar Evers 6-7, sr, F (Kingston, Jamaica)
Bloochy Magloire, Staten Island 6-3, jr, G (Staten Island, NY)
Kerel Mitchell, Old Westbury 6-0, sr, G (Brooklyn, NY)
Carl Yaffe, NYU 6-8, sr, F (Bethesda, MD)
Will Sanborn, Ramapo 6-1, sr, G (Red Bank, NJ)
Player of the Year: AJ Matthews, Farmingdale State
Coach of the Year: Marc Brown, NJCU
*****